Oshu City in Iwate Prefecture is trialing a new field-based activity around Oshu Lake, using WANDERIDE — a micro-sharing service built around specified small mopeds (特定小型原動機付自転車) from Wakayama-based mobility company glafit (CEO: Teizo Narumi).
Oshu City has been promoting tourism around Oshu Lake centered on outdoor activities, and is now looking into new field-based activities to attract more visitors. To support this effort, glafit is lending the city its electric cycle "NFR-01 Pro+ 4G LTE MODEL" (NFR-01 Pro+) free of charge. For one month in August 2026, the city is holding trial rides open to the public, based at the Oshu Lake Glocal Center (奥州湖交流館).
Background: A New Field-Based Activity for the Oshu Lake Area
The Oshu Lake area is surrounded by grand nature centered on the Isawa Dam, with viewpoints overlooking the lake and a canoe course scattered throughout. In spring, a "submerged forest" appears, where trees seem to grow straight out of the water's surface, making it a place to enjoy nature through every season.
Oshu City has positioned the Oshu Lake area as a hub for activities, working to promote tourism that makes the most of the region's rich nature and local resources. While water activities such as SUP and canoeing have long been available on the lake, there had been no field-based activity for exploring the area on land while experiencing nature up close. With this in mind, the city is aiming to create new ways to enjoy the area and attract more visitors.
With an eye toward fully adopting WANDERIDE as a field-based activity, the city is holding trial rides open to the public to test its potential and effectiveness.
The NFR-01 Pro+ electric cycle used for WANDERIDE can be ridden by anyone aged 16 or older without a driver's license, moving using throttle control alone. It also offers strong hill-climbing performance, making it well suited to exploring the varied elevation around Oshu Lake.
For the trial, three routes of about 3 kilometers each have been set up starting from the Oshu Lake Glocal Center, letting riders easily enjoy a loop around the area. A map created by Oshu City is handed out when bikes are rented, offering a new kind of tourism experience centered on enjoying the movement itself while taking in the lake's nature and scenery.
Trial Overview
- Period: August 1 (Sat) to August 31 (Mon), 2026
- Area: Around Oshu Lake, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture
- Rental base: Oshu Lake Glocal Center (奥州湖交流館)
- Number of bikes: 2
- Rental hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (last check-in 3:00 PM)
- Closed: Wednesdays
- Eligibility: Ages 16 and up
- Fee: Free
- Ride time: 1 hour
- How to join: Accepted daily on a first-come, first-served basis at the Oshu Lake Glocal Center
About WANDERIDE
Turning movement into entertainment. Turning towns into theme parks.
WANDERIDE is a micro-sharing service from glafit built around specified small mopeds. By combining a dedicated app with IoT-equipped vehicles, it aims to bring new mobility experiences tailored to each region's characteristics. Beyond simply supplementing secondary transportation at tourist destinations and local hubs, it works as a system for enjoying movement itself, helping to improve regional circulation and the value of local experiences.
WANDERIDE is a registered trademark of glafit.
Website: https://wanderide.travel/
About the Electric Cycle: NFR-01 Pro+
The NFR-01 Pro+ used for WANDERIDE is a popular glafit model that won the 2024 Good Design Award and became the first specified small moped project on the crowdfunding platform Makuake to raise over ¥100 million. As a specified small moped, it can be ridden by anyone aged 16 or older without a driver's license, and it offers powerful hill-climbing ability, a quiet motor, and IoT connectivity via 4G LTE. The bike's body can also be wrapped with original sticker designs, supporting new mobility experiences at tourist destinations.
Product details: https://glafit.com/products/nfr/nfr-01-pro/
"Electric cycle" is a term coined by glafit, combining "electric" — denoting its electric power source — with the easy, casual image of a bicycle and the "cycle" in "motorcycle." glafit uses it as a general term for its bicycle-style, seated models of specified small mopeds.
